It is one of the most common stories Dt. Himani Sharma hears from new clients outside India: "I ate the same dal and roti at home, I never ate junk — and I still put on 6 to 10 kilos in my first two years here." Nothing about the food seemed to change. Almost everything around it did.
Moving to the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore or the Gulf changes your portion sizes, your drinks, your working hours, how much you walk, how you sleep and who cooks. Each change is small. Together they add a few hundred calories a day and take away a few thousand steps — which is exactly how slow, steady weight gain happens. The good news: none of it needs a "Western diet". The fix is to rebuild an Indian way of eating around your new life.
The six changes that cause weight gain after a move
1. Portions grow without you noticing
A thali at home has small katoris. Plates, bowls, coffee cups and restaurant servings in North America and Australia are far larger, and the Gulf's restaurant culture serves rice by the platter. When you cook Indian food in a big Western bowl, a "normal" serving of rice or pasta can quietly double. This is the single most common cause of weight gain Dt. Himani sees — and the easiest to fix, by measuring rice and roti for a week until your eye recalibrates.
2. Calories arrive in liquid form
Flavoured coffee creamers, large lattes, sweetened iced tea, fruit juices, karak chai with two sugars, mango lassi and soft drinks with every takeaway meal. None of them feel like "food", and none of them fill you up. In the heat of the Gulf, sweet drinks also replace water. Swapping drinks is usually the fastest early win.
3. Eating out replaces home cooking
Long commutes and work hours leave little time to cook, so weekday meals become cafeteria lunches, sandwiches, meal deals, delivery and weekend restaurant Indian food — which is made with far more cream, butter and oil than home food. Many people living in shared accommodation cook only once a week. The plan has to work for the days you do not cook, not just the days you do.
4. You simply move less
In India, daily life includes walking to the market, climbing stairs and running errands on foot. After moving, it is often car to office to car — and in winter (Canada, the UK, New Zealand) or summer (the Gulf), most people stay indoors for months. A drop of a few thousand steps a day is enough to tip the balance over a year.
5. Stress, shift work and short sleep
Night shifts, early starts, calls across time zones and the stress of a new country all disturb sleep. Short sleep raises hunger and cravings and makes sugar control harder. Meal timings that ignore your actual shifts are why so many generic plans fail.
6. Your body is more sensitive to the extra weight
People of Indian origin tend to store fat around the waist and develop diabetes, high triglycerides and fatty liver at a lower body weight than Europeans. That is why UK guidance from NICE uses a BMI of 23 (not 25) as the overweight threshold for people of South Asian heritage, and why US diabetes guidance screens Asian Americans from a BMI of 23. A few kilos matter more for you — read why Indians get diabetes at a lower BMI.
Habits that creep in — and the Indian swap that fixes them
| Habit after moving | Why it adds up | Swap that keeps Indian food |
|---|---|---|
| Large bowl of rice with curry | Serving doubles in Western bowls | One measured katori of rice, plus extra sabzi and dal |
| Flavoured creamer or large latte | Sugar and fat several times a day | Chai with milk and little or no sugar; black coffee |
| Sandwich or meal deal lunch | Refined bread, crisps, sweet drink | Packed rajma-rice or chana salad; or a protein pot and fruit |
| Weekend restaurant Indian food | Cream, butter, naan, sweet lassi | Tandoori dishes, dal, salad, one roti; share dessert |
| Sweet drinks in the heat | Hidden sugar replaces water | Water, buttermilk, laban or coconut water |
| Cooking once a week | Ready meals and takeaway in between | Batch-cook dal and two sabzis on the weekend |
| Late dinner after a long commute | Biggest meal right before sleep | A substantial evening snack, then a light dinner |
| Snacking at the desk | Biscuits, chips, office treats | Roasted chana, makhana, nuts or fruit |
Talk to Dt. Himani about your health
What works for one person can be wrong for another — your reports, your routine and the food your family cooks all matter. Book a one-on-one consultation with Dt. Himani Sharma to discuss your health and goals.
Consult NowYour first 30 days back on track
- Week 1: measure rice, roti and oil for every meal, and write down every drink. Most people find their biggest change here.
- Week 2: swap sweet drinks for water, buttermilk or unsweetened tea, and pack lunch three days out of five.
- Week 3: add a 15-minute walk after dinner and move dinner earlier, with a proper evening snack.
- Week 4: batch-cook dal and two sabzis on the weekend so weekday dinners are home food, not takeaway.
How Dt. Himani helps — from wherever you live
Dt. Himani Sharma is a clinical dietitian with 14+ years of practice and 5,000+ clients. She consults entirely online, by video call and WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM India time — which works for mornings in North America, the working day in the UK and the Gulf, and afternoons and evenings in Singapore and Australia.
- She starts from your reports, not a template: HbA1c, lipids, thyroid, vitamin D and liver tests decide the targets.
- Her advice uses your local groceries, with substitutes like courgette for lauki or Greek yoghurt for dahi where needed.
- Meal timings follow your real day — commutes, shifts and weekends included.
- WhatsApp follow-ups mean you send meals and weights when it suits you, and her guidance is adjusted as your body responds.
From her Google reviews
“I am based in Bahrain, and working online with Himani has been a truly positive experience … She first understands your lifestyle, routine, energy levels, and body requirements, and then tailors the diet accordingly.” — Jenny John
“I had an amazing experience with Dt. Himani over the phone. In three months, I lost 10kg … a simple, non-fancy diet that didn’t leave me starving.” — Manish Tiwari
“She took the time to understand my lifestyle and preferences, created a realistic meal plan, and provided clear guidance and support throughout the process.” — Vidhi Sharma
Individual results vary with starting point, health and consistency.
See country-specific guides for the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and the UAE — each covers local call times and where to buy Indian staples.
Consult an Indian Dietitian, Wherever You Live
Book a one-on-one online consultation with Dt. Himani Sharma — a 60-minute video call to understand your health, your reports and your routine, wherever you live.
Consult Now on WhatsAppWork with Dt. Himani: Online Indian dietitian — across India & worldwide · Dietitian in Gurgaon (Sector 93)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Indians gain weight after moving to another country?
Mostly because the routine around the food changes: bigger portions, sweet drinks, eating out instead of home cooking, far less daily walking, and stress or shift work that disturbs sleep. Each change is small, but together they add a few hundred calories a day.
Do I have to stop eating Indian food to lose the weight?
No. Dal, roti, rice, sabzi and curd work well for weight loss. The fix is portion size, cooking method, drinks and meal timing — not switching to salads and smoothies.
Why does a few kilos matter more for people of Indian origin?
People of South Asian origin tend to store fat around the waist and develop type 2 diabetes and high triglycerides at a lower body weight. That is why UK and US guidance use a BMI of 23 for South Asians instead of 25.
Can I work with an Indian dietitian online from outside India?
Yes. Dt. Himani Sharma consults by video call and WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM India time, and her advice uses the groceries available where you live.
How do clients outside India pay?
Prices are in Indian rupees and the same for every client. Clients outside India pay by international bank transfer or Wise, and the details are shared on WhatsApp when you book.